I did along other side of fence. Between us and farmer field. And in back of LP tank.Then used wets newspaper and wood mulch.But getting so many lambs weed and crabgrass. also rag weed. Some areas cut weed down close and mulch well.
I do have a good sized portion of the back yard we will be using weedkiller on before Spring, I am giving Randy part of the backyard to use as a covered area for working on his old pickup so we have to make way for a drive way and concrete slab. It's a portion of the yard where I have never been able to get the weeds under control anyway and trying to is just too much work as I get older. But generally for problem areas I either use cardboard or plastic under a thick layer of mulch to keep the weeds down. The cardboard takes longer to decompose into the soil than newspaper, usually 2-3 years before I start noticing weeds again. I can't use wood mulch because termites will feed on it and nest in the ground under it, so I use native Texas Red Cedar shredded mulch.
I use vinegar as a weed killer, then mulch where I can. The paths around the vegetable gardens are spot-sprayed with vinegar to get the errant weed that pops up. I do this weekly during the growing season. In the gardens I just have to weed by hand and mulch, mulch, mulch! Along the fence lines we just mow as close as we can and once or twice a year go out with the string trimmer and cut everything down. There are pastures surrounding us so the cattle keep the fence lines pretty well trimmed up. If we were being overtaken with weeds, I'd use whatever worked!
I usually don't just because I am growing mostly vegetables and overspray is a given. So, I avoid them if I can. Nor do I want to kill off the clover in my lawn. I leave that for the bees and just because I like it. I would suggest using a pre-emergent herbicide in the flowerbeds where the weeds are a problem. This works as the seed is emerging, not after there are leaves on the plant. cornmeal gluten is known for it's effectiveness as a pre- emergent and it is all natural, but you do need to apply it every 6 weeks or so and pull a few weeds that managed to sneak through. Also, keep in mind it will not work in plants such as thistles and bind weed unless they are coming form seed, not a new rhizome emerging.
I don't use it in veggy area. Use cardboard and newspaper +bales of hay + leafs . Then till all in+ add some compost. Don't like using it-but weeds was growing fast. Even in lack of rain. Couldn't pull crab grass out. Don't use where birds eat.Or where our pets go.
Can I thank marlingardener for giving me the idea to use vinegar as a weed killer-something I would never have thought of. I have dogs and don't like the thought of potent chemicals being around. Thank you again.
I thing weeds are getting amune to some weed killers. Have seen many soy bean fields with rag weed and lamb quarters in them. Farmer at church said that aren't working..
I have used glycosphate sp? weed killers like Roundup.I'm reconsidering getting any more because of what I recently read about the use of Round up. It is not the innocuous stuff the ads claim.I just hate the way the lawn care people spray this stuff all over.Being surrounded on all sides by fields that get this stuff sprayed on,I fear for our water supply. There was some trouble with resistant weeds here,too. Poke Weed was very bad & had to be resprayed. sNs
I used vinegar in the cracks of our old driveway where we used to live and it worked great...but I have tried a mixture of salt and vinegar on the lawn weeds and it doesn't kill all of them...some it did but not all. At first it was great and then I noticed green growing in the brown spots where I thought I killed them. Maybe I didn't use enough of the mixture to get the roots. Now I have too many other things to do and just don't have enough time...I will worry about them next spring.
Sherry, vinegar that we get from the grocery store isn't as strong as horticultural vinegar, but it's a lot cheaper! I heat the vinegar if I can--works in a small spray bottle but not in the pump sprayer because the sheer amount of vinegar quickly cools down in the pump one. Where we are not going to plant anything, like on a pathway, kosher salt works, too. I have the feeling, however, that weeds are going to inherit the earth and are working on their inheritance in my backyard!
When I do use round up. Put foam cup on end of nozzle .Or paint it on with foam paint brush-put heavy gloves on. make sure not windy. But got wood mulch end of season sale. And where I don't grow any plants. Guy who chips trees -going to give me free from some pine trees. Will look at trees to make sure not diseased
